Rangers trade Mike Rupp to Minnesota

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — When John Tortorella gave his stock answer Monday that he wasn’t sure what his lines would look like for the next day’s game, he wasn’t kidding this time.

The Rangers revamped their forward depth for tonight’s game at the Devils shortly after the Rangers’ coach spoke.

J.T. Miller, the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft, was recalled from Connecticut (AHL) along with Brandon Mashinter, recently acquired from the Sharks.

Meanwhile, rugged veteran Mike Rupp was traded to the Wild for Darroll Powe, a solid penalty killer and shot blocker, and Nick Palmieri, who was assigned to the Whale. Palmieri was a third-round pick of the Devils in 2007.Fourth-line center Benn Ferriero also was returned to Connecticut.

So Powe, Mashinter and Miller could form the fourth line tonight after Tortorella essentially used just three lines in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Tampa Bay, as Rupp logged 4:28, Ferriero played 4:52 and converted defenseman Stu Bickel was on the ice for 3:27.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Miller, who doesn’t turn 20 until March 14, has eight goals and 12 assists in 37 games for Connecticut and led Team USA to gold in the World Junior Championships with two goals and seven assists.

The 5-11, 204-pound Powe, 27, is scoreless in eight games for the Wild this season after finishing second among NHL forwards with a career-high 91 blocked shots. He has 28 goals, 28 assists and 196 penalty minutes in 294 NHL games with the Wild and Flyers.

The Rangers also save against the salary cap with Powe’s hit at $1,066,667 through next season while Rupp, 33, scoreless in eight games and slowed by a knee injury last season, counted $1.5 million against the cap through 2013-14.

The 6-4, 235-pound Mashinter, 24, acquired from the Sharks on Jan. 16, is scoreless with 17 penalty minutes in 13 career NHL games and had three goals, four assists and 14 penalty minutes in eight games with the Whale.